


Crossing Lines

by Sp00py



Category: Wander Over Yonder
Genre: Kidnapping, Negaverse, Other, Torture, Violence, flashbacks to rape, sad fap, skeleton dance - Freeform, some suggestion of, wandering eye - Freeform, weird genitalia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-07-11
Packaged: 2018-11-30 13:00:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11464128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sp00py/pseuds/Sp00py
Summary: Sometimes the only one you can rely on is yourself, and even then it's a little hit-and-miss.





	Crossing Lines

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sort of follow-up to a handful of pictures I did ages ago (warning for rape and torture) [here](http://spoopywander.tumblr.com/post/153417964269/here-ya-go-i-hope-you-enjoy-thanks-so-much-for) and [here](http://spoopywander.tumblr.com/post/154886658904/peepers-is-way-too-tiny-for-all-that-on-one-pic). It's been written for ages so I'm just tossing it out here to get it done.

When Peepers finally left him alone, Wander cried. Then he slept. The pain was exhausting. The confusion was exhausting. The betrayal and tears and struggle was bone-deep, aching _exhaustion_. All he could do to escape was drift in some half-conscious haze.

The door opened. Peepers was back. Of course, he was. This was his room. Wander was just his unwilling guest. He tried to rouse himself so he could prepare for whatever was coming next. When a weight settled beside him, Wander cringed away in anticipation. He didn't think he _could_ prepare -- nothing made sense, and everything felt wrong. It hurt to think.

Then a hand, soft, a little bigger than Peepers' as Wander had become painfully familiar with, stroked his head.

Oh, thank grop. It wasn't him. Wander couldn't see who it was in the total, cave-like darkness of either the room or his swollen, scratched eyes, but he instinctively turned into the touch for comfort. Whoever it was was mindful of his injuries as he snuffled against them, holding him gently in place so he didn't open any wounds even more. The hand left too soon, and Wander bit his tongue on a whine before he found himself scooped up against a warm, furry chest.

The movement made his head swim. Thick blood that had pooled in his mangled mouth oozed toward his throat. For a moment he worried he would vomit as everything slid and pain blossomed anew all throughout his body.

He blacked out instead.

* * *

When Wander woke up, there was no room, no Peepers, no scattered teeth and blood and fur. He was cocooned in his hat, limbs bandaged, head pillowed against a thin leg. The sky above was star-studded. Wander was unexpectedly taken by tears at seeing anything like it again. He'd genuinely thought he might never see them again. The tears didn't fall but simply clung to his lashes, splintering the starlight. He tilted his head back.

And saw Wander. Not himself, obviously, but he instinctively knew this was some version of him. This Wander's fur was a darker, rusty orange, and he had a goatee and feline yellow eyes. Wander didn't want to cast aspirations based on appearances, but he'd be willing to bet this wasn't a nice version of him. This might even be some Nega-version. So some kind of... NegaWander. Nega. But it was definitely him. The hat, the shape, the voice, when he spoke.

"Hiya, sleepyhead," he said as he stroked Wander's fur, brushing his tears away.

"H-hi." Wander's own voice was raspy from disuse. He felt teeth in his mouth, where they were supposed to be but at the same time which he distinctly remembered them not being, and licked them curiously.

"We got most of 'em back in there -- be lucky you weren't awake for that," Nega said with a laugh. He was so casual about it, Wander wasn't sure how to respond, though he wasn't wrong either. Picking up the pieces of himself was often painful, and he was so tired of pain.

Wander struggled to sit up with some help from his doppelganger, until he was cuddled up against him, his hat clenched in his lap. Nega slung an arm around his shoulders, pulled him cheek to furry cheek, giving him a hug he hadn't realized he desperately needed. Wander wended his arms tightly around Nega's neck, sucking up his comfort like a dying leech.

Though Nega's fur looked spikier, it was soft and smelled like woodsmoke. Wander closed his eyes, committing the sensations to memory, thin arms around him and such a familiar scent, before he examined their surroundings.

They were sat across from a fire burning low, rocks all around and a few night-blooming flowers scenting the desert air. It was calm. Wander stayed silent, a strange thing for him, but this entire situation was strange, and he was still reeling from what Peepers had done. How Peepers could have even done that to him. The idea that he had was enough to break any calm. Wander swallowed down a sob that wanted to slip free.

"Welcome to the universe, I guess," Nega said, distracting Wander from his thoughts as he spread his other arm wide to encompass stars so like Wander's own. "Sorry it's such a shitty howdydo."

"Thank you?" Wander said once he was sure he wouldn't just break down the instant he opened his mouth. "How'd I get here? Last I remember was Mr. Peepers requestin' my help, which I was real happy to give. Then.... I don't remember much after that, before I woke up in Hatey's cell."

Nega leaned back, an eyebrow raised. "Hatey? Mr. Peepers? You all friends or somethin'?"

Wander nodded, though he wasn't sure about Peepers anymore. "I love Mr. Peepers," he said as though to assure himself it was still true, despite what he'd experienced. "He's my friend. We -- we care about each other." Even as he said that, all he could see was Peepers grinding him against that burning, green shielding, his big, red eye dark and angry, and Wander didn't know what he'd _done_. It must have been something, right? Peepers had been so angry, so mean. Nega placed a hand on his back, and Wander took a shuddering breath. "We do..."

"Well here, I might love him, but we ain't friends. Here, Peepers is just one asshole of many tryin' t' do me in. Or do me _then_ do me in, as the case may be. But he stepped far outta bounds when he got other universes involved."

"Guess he got impatient," a third voice said, and Wander curled tighter against Nega, a frightened gasp escaping. A figure shifted across from them -- what he'd taken for a rock in the darkness was actually Sylvia, though a more purple color and spikier, too.

"Syl!" Wander squeaked happily, about to go over to her until he was caught up in his other self's arms.

"Aw, aren't you gonna let my buddy come hug me, Wander?" Sylvia asked in a tone Wander would almost describe as nasty. Then she laughed, and he would _definitely_ describe that as nasty.

He sank against Nega, who squeezed him possessively, a scowl on his face for both Wander and Sylvia.

"Dammit, weren't you listenin'?" Nega scolded him. "We ain't friends here. None of us. I'd trust Sylvia only so far as I could throw her, and she ain't light."

Sylvia snorted, but since she couldn't have her fun, she curled her neck back around to sleep.

Wander tucked his head into the curve of Nega's neck. "I don't like it here," he said very quietly.

Nega relaxed when Wander returned to hugging and hiding against him. "No, 'course you don't. You're just too tender for this universe. Now c'mon, let's get you outta those bandages. It's been days. You're probably all healed up." He helped Wander to his feet and put his hat on his head for him, then led him away from the fire and the dark, ominous form of Sylvia, to a small pool of still water. The moon was bright enough to provide easy illumination, and fireflies danced and drifted in the air.

As Wander's bandages were unwrapped and some water rubbed on him to get the blood stains out of his fur, he examined his other self carefully. His eyes had a faint glow to them, as he'd discovered in these deeper shadows. "Ain't you evil?" he asked. "That's what all this is, right? Everyone's mean and cruel, 'stead of helpful and nice. Like y'all are flipped. Nega-verse style. Are you gonna hurt me, too?"

Nega stilled from where he'd been vigorously rubbing the fur of Wander's leg and tilted his head back to look up at him.

"Probably," he said flatly. "And why aren't _you_ the nega-version of me? What if I'm thinkin' 'I should call this guy NegaWander -- actually, nah, Nega, that's easier -- because he's clearly some goody-two-shoes version of me. Negaverse style'."

"I don't wanna be NegaWander. Nega ain't a nice word."

Nega straightened and leaned in very, very close. Wander felt the dampness of his hands as they wrapped around his arms.

"Honey," Nega announced, then pulled back as abruptly as he'd invaded Wander's personal space. The sudden absence of heat made Wander shiver, and he leaned a little toward Nega, trying to recapture some of his warmth.

"Honey?" he asked when Nega made no move to step back, letting Wander lean against him.

"Since you don't wanna be Nega, and I sure as shit ain't gonna respond to that name, I'm renamin' you Honey in case I get to call your name. You seem pretty sweet 'n' all."

"I like Honey," Wander agreed.

"So do I," Nega said with a quick, but very lewd wink.

Wander quickly found something else to look at other than Nega. While he was steadfastly looking out across the water, watching small, glowing bugs dance with their reflections, Nega knelt down again. He produced a small towel from his hat to dry Wander's fur. Suddenly having him so near his groin made Wander a little nervous, though he wasn't sure if it was in a good way or a bad way. It was a confused way, definitely. Sex wasn't something Wander cared about, most days, but he'd always thought positively of it before. It was a fun way to bond with friends, and Peepers, Nega's Peepers, had made it dirty. He didn't want it to be  _dirty_.

He gave a small shriek and stumbled back as Nega's fingers brushed too high, sending an unexpected little jolt through him. That was all the warning Wander got before Nega straightened again, caging him between his hands, back pressed against one of the boulders.

"Wh-- what are ya doin'?" Wander asked, cringing into the cool stone. His gaze was captivated by the glow in Nega's eyes. He didn't have any pupils, just lighter spaces in a sea of sodium light. He wondered how his eyes had gotten like that, or if they'd always been that way.

"Seein' an opportunity. There ain't many of us, Honey."

Wander whined. "I don't like that name anymore."

Nega laughed. "You'll like it in a moment," he promised, nuzzling Wander's cheek.

He knew what Nega meant about an opportunity. How often did one come across another person like Wander? The universe was a big, big place, and very few creatures in it were compatible with Wander. It made sense to take what was given, but...

"I was just raped," Wander said very, very quietly.

"And this'll make ya feel better," Nega murmured without a pause, hands running down Wander's sides. "I wanna get up inside ya and make you giggle 'n' squirm 'n' moan like none of that nastiness happened. And I want ya to do the same t' me, like we was meant to do. I want you to enjoy yourself. That sound good?"

Wander was silent as Nega pressed against him, fur warm and smokey. He wanted to agree. He was desperate for a gentle touch, and so far Nega was delivering, but at the same time his voice was caught in his throat, strangling him.

Fingers dug into the dense fur at his groin, prodding and stroking some reaction out of Wander. This was nothing like what Peepers had done. This was a person who knew what Wander was and wanted him for him, instead of seeing him as just something he could hurt.

A wheezy little moan escaped, only to be caught by Nega's mouth as he pressed his lips to Wander's. He sucked and nipped, encouraging Wander to respond, then pulled away a hair's breath.

Wander opened his eyes again, confused about why he'd stopped.

"Let sumthin' good come of this, Honey," Nega said quietly, breath mingling with Wander's. Everything about him smelled so nice, so warm and inviting.

Wander could do with something good right about now. Hesitantly, he gave a small nod, and Nega grinned. Another quick kiss, then he sank down, fingers and whiskery kisses tickling down Wander's sternum, across his belly, nuzzling at his thighs.

Wander couldn't see what Nega was doing, but watched the shifting of his hat intently as he felt a warm, wet tongue prod and coax his stamen out, tease him open. He rested his hands on Nega's hat, clenching and unclenching the worn fabric. Since he could only feel and hear Nega, he tilted his head back against the rock and stared up at the stars.

He tried to banish thoughts of what Peepers had done, but they only came back stronger. He'd shoved Wander up against that crackling, burning green shield, pawed ineptly in his underwear before yanking them down and shoving his thick, gloved fingers into Wander until blood slicked him enough to fuck. It wasn't his Peepers, at least, which distanced the pain, made it feel less like a memory and more like a bad dream.

Nega inched back up to kiss all across Wander's face, hands on his hips, legs spreading Wander's so he could ease him open.

Peepers had slammed into him like an attack, knocking Wander repeatedly against the shield, the smell of fur burning and skin blistering overwhelming. He'd choked Wander, whispered angry threats and curses, left him with blood and cum dribbling out of him and down his legs.

And that hadn't been just once. It didn't even seem like Peepers enjoyed it, except in how it made Wander cry and beg. Like he'd used Wander as some proxy for Nega, Peepers used his own body as a weapon to hurt him, lifting him to stab as deeply as possible.

When Nega hiked Wander's hips up to better rub up against him, Wander shrieked and shoved him away. Nega tripped witha yelp, dragging Wander down with him.

Wander pushed himself to his knees and started crying, apologies blubbering out as Nega winced and cradled the back of his head. His other hand found Wander's mouth, and he splayed his fingers, catching Wander's words.

"It's all right, Honey. We can stop."

"I still wanna do it," Wander said quickly, and it felt a little more true now than it had earlier. His mind might not have been in the moment, but his body was. If he could just _enjoy_ it. Nega pulled his hand away from his head to squint at the dark splotch of blood there. Wander grabbed his hand in both of his. "I want sumthin' good t' come of this. I don't want it to be all bad."

"Well fuck me," Nega muttered as he wiggled his bloodied fingers. "And fuck me, then. You get to be in control here, Honey."

Wander swallowed, but nodded. "I'm sorry 'bout your head."

"Nah, I like it rough. Wink," he added with a pointed actual wink.

Wander giggled weakly. "Wink," he echoed, the familiar joke surprisingly comforting.

He settled Nega's hand on his hip, then nestled between his thin legs to undulate gently against him. Wander's stamen swayed and stroked at felted layers of fur, and Nega's matching jewel-tipped stamen, until they found his entrance in soft, velvety folds. Nega's breath hitched when Wander pressed in with the first one, and Wander leaned forward to kiss him as his other stamen stroked at Nega's entrance, pressing impatiently for their chance. Pollen glittered like gold dust between them, and Wander deepened the kiss. Soon, Nega found his teased, wet hole to slip into.

"Grop, Honey," Nega moaned as Wander rolled his hips against him. "You're bein' so sweet, you're gonna spoil me for anyone else."

Wander giggled into Nega's cheek. This was how it was meant to be, he was pretty sure, though he was willing to bet neither of them had much experience with their own kind. They just let nature take its course, and there was no pain, no pressure, no bloody climaxes and stinging cum. "Is there anyone else?"

Nega caught Wander when he tried to lean back, keeping them tangled and close, swapping breath as they swapped pollen. He nibbled along the fur of Wander's cheek, then whispered, "Oh, there's a feller, yeah, but he's never gonna be sweet."

"Do you want him to be?"

"Hardly. Those big, skeletal hands ain't made for sweet. None'a us are."

Wander huffed a little in surprise -- of course, if there was a Peepers, and a Sylvia, and a Wander, why wouldn't there be a Hater? He was happy there was, for Nega's sake. Wander relaxed against Nega, his fingers and lips exploring contours Wander knew only from the other side as they came down from the gentle pleasure they'd shared. Their kind had no orgasms to tease out, only dribbling sweet nectars and pollen receptors that tingled and thrummed as they pressed against each other.

Wander kissed Nega again, deep and gently because everyone needed some sweetness, then cuddled up close into his fur.  He could feel the rabbit-fast heartbeat underneath Nega's purring, and pressed a hand to his heart, as though to verify it was really there. Maybe it even looked like Wander's own delicate candy heart. Sugar hidden under a layer of spiky fur.

"What are you doin'?"

"Thinkin' how sweet you are."

Nega gave a very ugly snort. "Careful with that sorta talk. I might hafta do sumethin' nasty t' disavow you of that notion."

Wander froze, then forced himself to relax. Warning understood. This wasn't a nice world, no matter what had transpired between them.

Nega brushed the fur away from Wander's face and pressed a kiss to his forehead, which undermined his harsh words. Wander closed his eyes and focused on his warmth, not his words, until they were ready to return to camp.

* * *

Wander woke up later, disoriented, but not afraid. He was inside of his hat, and he'd been cleaned up (again) and redressed. He hadn't even realized he'd passed out earlier. He felt weird. Like there was prickling starlight in his fur, a numbness to his fingers. He wasn't sure what had woken him, but whatever it was clung to him, like walking through a spider's web.

Nega and Sylvia were talking. Wander didn't want to talk to them, not right now, but he liked the sounds of their voices even if they weren't exactly how he and Sylvia spoke. He hoped she was okay, and not too worried.

"That was a lot of work just to get laid," Sylvia was saying. "Cuddling up. Keeping him safe. Ugh. Should have just fucked him while he was unconscious and left him to the vultures."

Wander's eyes widened as Nega spit. He shouldn't be listening to this, he knew in his gut he wouldn't like what he was going to hear.

"You don't know shit 'bout our kind, horse," Nega said. "Sex don't gotta be all blood 'n' violence like with you. Sometimes it can be..."

"Sweet?" she said, voice a mocking echo of their earlier words. Someone'd been eavesdropping. Wander felt a little less bad about doing it himself, now, but worse for having had an audience. He'd just wanted... he'd just wanted to feel good.

"Shut up! I got what I wanted, didn't I? Who gives a flyin' flarp how?"

Wander's throat tightened. Had that been the plan from the get go? Save him, fuck him, leave him?

Sylvia laughed, though it cut off with a grunt at the sound of something hitting her. Wander squeezed his eyes shut at the ensuing, quiet scuffle. He tried not to think on the implications of what Nega had said. Of course he was just being used again. He'd said Wander was in control, and Wander'd bought his act. Wander sniffled. He knew he shouldn't have done that. He should have said no.

Soon, footsteps stopped just at his head, and he blinked blearily as Nega crouched down. He touched the dampness around Wander's eyes curiously. "You have a bad dream?"

Wander nodded mutely. This entire ordeal felt like a bad dream.

"Budge over, let me get in there with ya."

Wander instinctively obliged. Once Nega was settled in, Wander could see he had a shiner and swollen lip dappled with blood.

"Syl's got a helluva right hook," Nega explained as he tangled their legs and arms together. Wander twisted so his back was to him, Sylvia's harsh words ringing in his ears. Just to get laid -- Nega'd gotten what he wanted. It hadn't been about Wander. Again. He was just being used like some sort of toy. "But nevermind her. You don't gotta fear nuthin'."

"'Cept you," Wander muttered.

That got a laugh. "'Cept me. Yeah, that's the spirit. I'm real possessive of what's mine, though, so I'll protect ya." His hand settled on  Wander's belly, and Wander's own hand covered his. Something good coming out of this. Wander wouldn't let any possible seeds be tainted by the idea of Nega's selfish motives. "Tomorrow we'll see 'bout gettin' you to your proper place."

"Okay," Wander said flatly, then closed his eyes and prayed for sleep until it actually came.

* * *

The next day, Wander felt less achy, less dirty. At least physically. Nega looked a lot worse off. Wander blinked at the darker stains on his fur as he kicked sand onto the fire and stamped it out. "That can't all be yours."

Nega looked down at himself. "Huh? Nah. Some's Sylvia's. Most is Peepers'."

"What."

"You heard me." Nega poked Sylvia awake with his foot. "Rise 'n' shine, sweetie," he said when she told him in very vulgar terms to leave her alone, punctuating it with a kick. As Sylvia grumbled her way to wakefulness, Nega returned to him. "Fucker messed with the wrong wanderer."

Wander curled his fingers in the edge of his skirt. He'd been unconscious for days, he'd been told. And that blood didn't look that old. If it had been just about the sex, why would Nega attack Peepers? He'd already gotten what he wanted from Wander. Now he was even more confused. "What... what did you do to him?"

"Didn't kill him, if that's what you're worried about. Standards, remember? But he won't be commandin' nuthin' for a while. I took that big ol' eyeball head of his and just --"

"No!" Wander's hands flew to his ears and he squeezed his eyes shut. "No! Don't tell me! I don't wanna know. I'm sorry I asked!"

Hands covered his, and Wander opened his eyes. Nega took his hands in his own. "It's okay. You just know you don't gotta worry 'bout nuthin'. We're takin' you to one of them interdimensional doors and sendin' ya through today. There's a hacked one a certain somebody left on the Skullship. Already set to your coordinates."

"The Skullship."

Nega kissed his forehead again, goatee tickling at Wander's face. They both ignored Sylvia's disgusted gagging noises at the sight. "I know. You probably don't wanna go within a lightyear of that place, but when you're through you'll be safe 'n' sound 'n' farther away from there than any place in this universe." Wander gave a weak nod. He wanted to go home, where he could actually hug Sylvia and not be used and confused all the time. Nega smiled. "Good. C'mon, Syl, let's saddle up!"

Wander was put in front of Nega on Sylvia's saddle. Though they didn't seem to like each other like he and his Sylvia did, he supposed this was the closest thing to friendship possible in a place like this. She didn't buck them off or anything, at the least, though the ride was fast and bumpy and a little bit awkward because both he and Nega were still sensitive in their nethers from their time together.

Sylvia refused to go any further than a moon near where the Skullship was stationed, though, no matter how much Nega cajoled or threatened. That left the two Wanders to infiltrate alone -- an easy task, if they'd been dealing with Wander's Hater. But this wasn't Wander's Hater. This was NegaHater, who Wander could see scared the bejebus out of his other self, no matter what front he tried to put up or how hot he claimed to find it.

While they waited for an opening in the grinding, crushing machinery of the Skullship's engines to slip through, Wander covered Nega's hand with his own. He could feel the deathgrip his other self had on his baseball bat.

“Thank you,” he said quietly when Nega's eyes shifted to meet his.

He stared at Wander a moment, then glanced away, flustered. "Grop, why you gotta be so cute?"

Wander giggled and leaned against him. "That makes you doubly cute, doppelganger."

Nega huffed and puffed some more, then pulled away almost reluctantly. "Heh. Whatever. An openin's comin' up. C'mon, let's do this."

Wander smiled. Nega seemed less nervous already. This would work out fine.

* * *

Wander curled tightly into the small nook Nega had frantically shoved him into just as the electricity hit him. It slammed Nega against Wander for a brief, terrifying moment, before Hater grabbed Nega's scruff and yanked him away.

Wander pulled his hat down around his ears at Nega's pained squeak when Hater threw him to the floor. He wanted to hide, but couldn't, not when somebody needed help, not when this was his fault. Nega wouldn't have been here if not for him.

He peeked out of his hole. Hater loomed over Nega, foot to the small nomad's chest. He could easily crush him with just a little more pressure, and seemed just on the verge of proving it. This Hater was sharper, straight-backed and in full, dripping black that had a dangerous sheen to it. Nega scrabbled at Hater's sneaker, his other hand groping for his bat, which lay just out of reach.

"I should stomp you into a fuzzy pulp for what you did to Peepers," Hater taunted, leaning more onto his foot. Nega wheezed, tried to form a retort, until he spotted Wander inching his way closer. His eyes widened and he mouthed a frantic 'no.'

"Beg all you want, it won't -- hello? I'm trying to monologue. What are you looking at?" Hater scanned the room, quickly catching sight of Wander. He froze. "What the -- Ah! Grop dammit! Ow!" He bounced back on one foot, clutching his knee. Nega had his bat in hand, and he used it as a crutch to help himself stand.

Wander darted over to support him, dodging wayward green bolts of energy, and as soon as he got an arm around him, Nega gestured toward a vent. A moment's work to get the grate off, and they toppled into it. They crawled frantically away as Hater began to shoot lightning into the vents.

At a four-way intersection far away from those sizzling bolts, they stopped, and Wander leaned Nega against the chilly wall. He winced, then sighed. Their fur was puffed and crackling with residual electricity, but at least none of those particular bolts had landed. Nega had a burn on his back from the first round, though.

"I'm sorry," Wander said. "I hope I didn't ruin nuthin' between you and Hatey."

Nega waved his hand weakly. "N-nah. Weren't your fault Hater's a bastard."

Wander twisted his fingers in his lap, not really sure how to put into words how he'd felt, seeing Hater almost crush Nega so easily. It churned his stomach and made his eyes wet, thinking how easily someone Nega loved could hurt him, could kill him without a care. "Your Hater... He's scary."

"Yep," Nega agreed, massaging his chest. When Wander leaned into him, he looped his arm around him. "I like 'em scary."

"Sometimes... Sometimes I worry 'bout my Hater doin' somethin' like that," Wander admitted. And maybe that was the real problem. Wander could easily imagine himself in Nega's place, but he could never bring himself to attack Hater if it became life or death. "He's nice, I mean, but he's a bit volatile. 'Specially 'round me."

"Ain't that much difference between our universes, then. Hater's nuthin' but raw power and shitty emotional regulation. He's really messed me up before, but he's like a wildfire. Just doin' what nature designed him t' do. It's Peepers you gotta be careful of. As I'm sure ya know." He sighed and looked idly down one of the dark vents. "I shouldn'ta went after him. That's gonna bite me in the ass."

Wander prodded at Nega's ribs, checking that none were broken. "You could come with me," he said. "I don't mind other Wanders in my universe -- in fact, I'd welcome more, it's a bit lonely, being the only one -- and everyone's real nice."

"I can believe that. Can't see you survivin' elsewise. But I ain't nice. I'd eat your little universe alive."

"You're bein' nice to me."

"I'm bein' nice to myself, Honey. Little different. And I ain't really _that_ nice to ya."

Wander hummed, but didn't contradict the statement. "Is there anything I can do to repay ya, regardless? Since we probably won't ever see each other again."

"Hopefully we don't. Just promise you won't be dragged into any more alternate universes."

Wander gave a short laugh. "No, really. You gotta ask me somethin' I can actually do."

Nega was silent for a long moment, then said, "I'll get back t' ya on that." 

* * *

"Flabdrassit," Nega muttered, crowding Wander away from the vent grate. "They've got the entire army in there, it looks."

The R&D lab that housed the doorway was crawling with Watchdogs, all armed to the pupils. Wander didn't know what Nega had done to Peepers, but it had turned the entire ship into a minefield just waiting for one, stray nomad to set it off.

"Suppose we can't just sneak past 'em?"

"I can't, but you can. If I distract 'em."

Wander caught Nega's arm before he could lift the grate and drop down. "What if they catch you?"

"They'll probably do to me what was done t' you. Ain't my first rodeo, though."

Wander winced at the implications. Before Nega could throw himself to the Watchdogs, Wander wrapped him in a hug. It took Nega a second to relax into it, but soon he returned it.

They pulled apart after a few, quiet moments. "Oh, hang on," Nega said as he reached up into his hat, producing a paper. It had a phone number on it. "When you get through, gimme a call."

Nega dropped down, people began to yell, blasters went off. Soon, there was nobody beneath Wander to impede him. He landed in a roll toward the door, but jerked to a halt seeing some of the technology they were working on. WMDs, bioweapons, world razers and mind control devices. Things to not just to conquer, but to destroy. The doorway crackled a few feet away, gauges monitoring the portal. Every needle was in the red.

"What are ya still doin' here?" Nega asked, crashing into Wander as lasers scorched the ground and walls around them. "Sorry it's not all gumdrop machines 'n' bubble-blowers or whatever, but we ain't got time for you t' be offended, 'less you wanna stay. Get movin'!" He shoved Wander toward the portal.

"But --"

"Git!" 

Nega shoved Wander harder, right through the door just as a blaster bolt sizzled across Wander's arm. He hit the ground in a plume of grey dust, then something exploded.

* * *

Wander was _really_ tired of waking up in strange places with strange hurts all over his body. He sighed before forcing his eyes open so he could figure out what new nightmare this was.

"Wander?! Oh, thank grop," a familiar voice said. Wander searched the white, white room he was in, blurry gaze finally settling on a blue and pink shape.

"Sylvia?"

"Yeah, it's me, buddy." She wrapped him up in her arms, lifting his entire body off the bed. The movement hurt, but the intent felt nice.

"It really is you," he murmured, clinging weakly to her neck. He wanted to cry in relief, but was so tired of crying. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," Sylvia said, voice shaky. Wander felt his way up her neck to her face. She was crying in his stead. "I was so worried. You were gone for ages. No warning, no notes...."

"'m sorry, Sylvia. I didn't mean to make you worry. Where are we?"

"A hospital. You were in pretty rough shape -- this freight train saw an explosion on one of Gliese's moons and sent some people to investigate. They found you there." Sylvia settled Wander back into the bed and began fretting over him, making sure his pillow was fluffed, his water was topped off. "Wander, what happened? How did you wind up halfway across the galaxy? The doctors said you showed signs of being _tortured_. It wasn't Dominator, was it?"

Wander scooted a little to the side, patting the bed for Sylvia to join him. When she did so, he latched onto her. "Can we not talk about it?" he asked. "'n' don't worry 'bout who did this to me. It wasn't Dominator, though."

Sylvia looked like she wanted to press more, but let her questions die in her throat at his worn-down expression. She pulled Wander up into her arms again, and he wriggled a bit until he was comfortable. This was what safe felt like. Someone who held him and protected him and expected nothing in return, though he'd do anything he could for her.

"I love ya, Syl. So, so much." Oh, there were the tears. Wander murmured the phrase over and over as he cried against her. Worse than the thought of never seeing stars again was never seeing her again, and that could so easily have happened if he'd stayed a moment longer in that other universe.

"I love you too, buddy," Sylvia said as she nuzzled his furry belly.

* * *

Three weeks later, Wander was laying on his back, an arm behind his head and the soft pink glow of Dominator's ship all around him.  He had some phantom pains from that explosion getting Honey out of this universe, but thanks to it he'd managed to escape unmolested. Until now.

His current captor was, he assumed, wherever Sylvia was, trying to talk her into being nice. He thought Dominator had given up on him after an hour of brushing and one-sided conversation until he heard the tramp of Dombot steps and the strange sort of spacey noise of the walls of his cell shifting, melting into a doorway.

Wander sat up, a hand on his bat, though his heart hadn't really been in causing mayhem as of late. He was getting just a bit too white around the fringe to risk it. Dominator stood there, flanked by two bots. The gap closed behind her. She had a grin on her face and a cake in her hands. It was the same pink color as her sweater.

".... what?" Wander asked, letting his grip relax.

"I just intercepted a message to you," she said. "Bot #76, activate congratulations protocol 36."

"Activating," one of the robots said, walking over to Wander. He leaned away in anticipation. A kazoo sounded and confetti spewed out onto him, along with a few balloons with "#1 Daddy" and "It's a ???" printed on them that bumped against his face before floating up to the ceiling.

"What."

Dominator cut a slice of cake for Wander and pulled up her own data screen to show him.

A wobbly video recorded by Honey played. He was front and center, shapes all soft and rounded and gentle like Wander remembered in his arms. "Hey, uh. Wander. Heheh. I was gonna send you a message earlier, but I've been real busy -- with this!" He angled the camera downward, showing off his own fringe of white, though it was fuller and fluffier than Wander's. "We got kittens! You're a daddy!"

Dominator pulled Wander into an unwilling hug, burying him in her sweater, so he couldn't hear the rest of the message. "Congratulations on finding another weird little orange spoon and making smaller weird little orange spoons! They seem really nice."

"Uh, thanks. They -- they are." Wander fell silent as he was released and handed a fork. He picked thoughtfully at the cake, but made no move to eat any, though he was probably eating for a few more than one, now. "Hey, Dominator?"

"Yeah?' she asked, lifting her gaze from the video of Honey she was re-watching, cooing over how cute he was. Which Wander could agree with, though he didn't like Dominator doing it. That was his Honey she was ogling.

"Wanna keep me captured for a few months?"

Dominator's gaze shifted down to to the white fur at his hips, now that she knew what that signified, then smiled like a sun going nova. If she wanted to, she probably could _make_ a sun go nova in her joy. Wander needed that sort of protection right about now.

"Sure thing, bud -- I mean prisoner. Wink."

Wander rolled his eyes, but obliged her a "wink" back. He was pretty confident he could stand her bubbly personality and the annoying fact that she was one of the most dangerous people out there until his little kittens grew in and scattered to the cosmic winds. Maybe he'd even let her keep one, since she seemed to like soft and fluffy, and if they took after Honey they were going to be very soft and extra fluffy.


End file.
